WFP expands footprint in Khartoum as families starts to return to devastated capital
This is a summary of what was said by Laurent Bukera, WFP Sudan Representative and Country Director (speaking from Port Sudan via Zoom) – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
GENEVA – I’ve just returned from Khartoum State, where WFP opened a new office in Omdurman – Khartoum’s twin city. This marks a key milestone in re-establishing our presence closer to the communities we serve and reaffirms WFP’s commitment to deliver.
GENEVA – I’ve just returned from Khartoum State, where WFP opened a new office in Omdurman – Khartoum’s twin city. This marks a key milestone in re-establishing our presence closer to the communities we serve and reaffirms WFP’s commitment to deliver.
The needs are immense. We saw widespread destruction, limited access to water, healthcare, and electricity, and a cholera outbreak. In parts of the city, life is returning – but many neighbourhoods remain abandoned, like a ghost city.
Over the past six months, WFP has reached nearly 1 million Sudanese in Khartoum with food and nutrition support. This momentum must continue – several areas in the south of the city are at high risk of famine.
Sudanese communities have been on the frontlines, hosting the displaced, but they are now at a breaking point. With returns expected to heavily damaged areas like Khartoum, pressure on overstretched resources will intensify. WFP is deeply concerned and meeting basic needs, especially food, is critical and urgent.
Urgent action is needed to restore basic services and accelerate recovery – through coordinated efforts with local authorities, national NGOs, UN agencies, and humanitarian partners.
At the same time, funding shortfalls are already disrupting assistance in Khartoum, Blue Nile, Al Jazira and Sennar states. Oil and pulses have been removed from the food basket due to a lack of resources. Without new funding in the coming months, further cuts in assistance will have to be implemented.
In Khartoum, life-saving nutritional supplements for young children and pregnant or nursing mothers are out of reach – not because of access constraints, but due to a lack of resources. Without urgent support, we cannot deliver the full package that people need as they return to Khartoum.
WFP has a longstanding presence and deep expertise in Sudan, built over six decades of operations. As we scale up efforts to address urgent food needs, we are also laying the foundation for a long-term recovery – expanding cash assistance to revitalize local markets and supporting bakeries and small businesses in their reopening. There's much we can do – and are doing – right now.
WFP is now reaching 4 million people a month across Sudan. This is nearly four times more than at the start of 2024. As access has expanded, including to previously unreachable areas like Khartoum, we've rapidly scaled up operations to meet increasing needs. We are aiming to reach 7 million people monthly, prioritizing those facing famine or other areas at extreme risk across Darfur, Kordofan, Al Jazira, and Khartoum states. With sustained support, we can do even more.
Progress remains fragile. The rainy season is now starting, compounding an already dire situation. At the same time, indiscriminate and unacceptable attacks on humanitarian personnel and operations are escalating – including last week’s strike on a WFP-UNICEF convoy when it was just hours from reaching besieged El Fasher in North Darfur. The convoy was about 80 km from the city. The convoy came under attack in Al Kuma, resulting in the tragic loss of five humanitarian personnel and injuries to others. In April, aid workers were killed during a major escalation of fighting in Zamzam camp also near El Fasher.
These attacks must stop immediately.
While we can’t thank donor partners enough for their support to humanitarian and resilience activities, needs are at the moment outpacing the funding we have received. Despite generous contributions from our donor partners, we are running short of over $500 million for emergency food and cash assistance alone for the coming six months.
The international community must act now— by stepping up funding to stop famine in the hardest-hit areas and to invest in Sudan’s recovery. We must also demand respect for the safety and protection of the Sudanese people and aid workers. This is the moment to stand with the Sudanese people as they rebuild their lives, communities, and hope after two years of devastating conflict.
We demand respect and safety for civilians and humanitarian workers. Above all, the only solution is peace.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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